The Blessing of the Full Moon
by TheRealCCAuthor
Summary: When a world once united in harmony becomes torn between mobs and humans, one child from the moon is foretold to save the creepers. However, when a time paradox sends her to new territory, things get rocky quickly. Friends and enemies are made, and strong bonds become broken. Will she be able to give the creepers their home, or be driven out before she has the chance to save them?
1. Author's Note

A wise fool very close to me once said, "When I leave my high school, I'm going to make everyone that didn't date me regret it." As egotistical as he was, I couldn't help but have the questions ponder forth.

 _"_ _Why do you say that?"_

 _"_ _What about the one person that loved you unconditionally?"_

 _"_ _What about the one you threw away?"_

 _"_ _What about her?"_

 _"_ _What about me…"_

 _"_ _What did I do wrong?"_

 _"_ _What did I do wrong?"_

 _"_ _What did I do to push you away?"_

 _'_ _Why wasn't I good enough to keep your love?"_

 _"_ _Why did you fall out of love with me?"_

 _"_ _Why would you end it like this then complain that no one wants to be with you?"_

 _"_ _Why are you the one okay while I sit here more than a year later, a new man who treats me much better than you ever did by my side, going crazy almost every night with these questions…?"_

These questions… They demand an answer they will never receive, and you treat it like it's nothing more than a joke. What happened to those fourteen months of steadiness? I wore a promise ring that symbolized troubled times to come. And now, I'm left to wonder if I had done something differently, would you have stayed? Would things be different than they are today? Would I even want them to be…?

So now we turn to the story at hand. DragoCraft was a great server while it was still up and running, but unfortunately it too came to an end like most good things. Not all good things, but most of them. This story will take my adventures in the few short months that the server was up and be turned into an adventure.

As a kid on Minecraft, I always loved creepers. They were my favorite monster or "mob" in the game and it was what inspired me to always want to give the green suicidal-prone creatures a place to leave in peace and harmony. My dream finally came true late 2016 in another server called Simple Survival with my best friend captainpunchface, but what happened on DragoCraft in the summer of 2015 still burns, branded into my memories forever.

This story is a revamping of the fanfiction written shortly after the DragoCraft incident happened, but was never published. Though I will not reveal the name of the wise fool who was my painful inspiration for this Minecraft fanfiction, I will say that his character does play a major role in this story and will in sequels to follow. No one deserves to feel like they're not good enough for someone, no matter what the circumstances are.

While some people turn towards unhealthy methods to release pain, I turn to writing. It has become more than a hobby; it is part of my heart, my soul, my life… I've learned many times that even the strongest of bonds can be snapped and broken. This is the tale of just that. This is the story of DragoCraft.

Much Love :3 ~TheRealCCAuthor


	2. Prologue: The Backstory

I remember it like it was yesterday… where we once lived in peace with the land as our own. Every mob shared resources and divided it up evenly. At night, we would sing praise to the moon for keeping us alive for another day.

My species was unique unlike my skeleton and zombie brothers. Creepers could survive the daylight's harsh, murderous rays while the other had to take shelter to survive. We were all mutual companions. Though we kept to our own groups during the day, we came together as soon as the burning sun set and were one big family. Ever since I was a baby, this routine continued day after day, night after night.

Until the first man walked the Earth…

He was a peculiar fellow, unlike any mob I've ever seen, but just as deadly. We started off hiding during the day. Not a creature came out, and for a good reason too. He chopped down trees that gave us protection, slaughtered animals we used as food. He had encroached on our land and was destroying it.

When night fell, we all came out and tried to reason with the strange creature, but as soon as one of the zombies stepped forward, he drew a gleaming sword and sliced the zombie in half, tearing him apart and stripping him of his rotten flesh. All of us panicked and started to let out various cries. Some tried to fight back while others ran. The ones who stood for our defense did not make it back.

If I had one word to describe him, it would be without a doubt, "monster." He killed skeletons for their bones, spiders for their eyes, endermen for their warping pearls… It was truly a genocide that we were defenseless to. The creepers had it worst of all. Many committed suicide, blowing themselves up just to try and stop him. The ones who mourned and couldn't flee fast enough gave their lives to the sword's blade as they were mercilessly slaughtered. Even my own mother Ava was punctured and bled out before she could be saved.

From that moment on, we all knew that the many months of peace had been shattered forever. Sure enough, more of the creatures came that were just like the first. They too had a blood-thirsty crave to kill and overthrow. The mobs that were once united split into their own species for further protection. The creepers took hold in a crater in the mountain, what was left of us anyways.

Months passed. Every day we'd look out onto the now growing civilization just to see what they had done. Trees were broken down and beautiful arcs and mountains were torn apart for their resources. Buildings began to arise as more filthy creatures came in. By now, many of the elders who experienced the night of slaughter had passed away, and the infant creepers were taught to fear the devils and hate them. They were the humans… I had always had a growing desire to formulate some kind of revenge on them, especially to avenge my dear mother Ava. This passion flowed throughout all of us, and soon enough, they began to see me as leader, as protector, as Abba.

More months passed. The humans still had not left, though this didn't surprise me. They showed no signs of possible departure, but instead grew in numbers it seemed every day. Our population slowly grew back into the large numbers we once had, but adapting to the new environment was difficult. Nights were pitch black and cold, and food was scarce. We lived on slim portions for what seemed like eternities, which made us more vulnerable if the humans ever found us.

Even more months passed. By now, the other creepers had also gotten a craving for vengeance. I had a three step plan that would hopefully obliterate the civilization that had destroyed our peace. We had all come together in one chant:

 _"_ _Fire! Burn! Kill! Destroy those who have destroyed us!_ "

Our hearts had turned black. Never had I seen us so sinful, but I couldn't blame my fellow creepers. We were driven from our home and turned into savages. That is, until the night of the full moon.

Meadow was probably the kindest soul of us all. She hated what had happened to us and what we were doing. While most abandoned faith, every night she still prayed to the moon, giving it praise for at least keeping us alive in this new situation.

"One day the moon will return back what we've asked for," she'd say.

As optimistic as she was, I knew the only way that we were going to get our land and our lives back was taking it by force. But on the night of the full moon, a stranger appeared. We all ran back and into the shadows at the sight. It was our worst fears realized: a human. Had they found us and come to kill the rest of us off? But no… We all watched the stranger quietly as it took something out and turned. I could feel the tension coming from my people as I prepared to give an attack hiss. But faster than a flash, she set the object down and jumped out.

Some started whimpering while others ran forwards from behind me to see what had been left. A small green bundle lay on the stone floor as I approached it. Suddenly, it twitched and gave a shrill wail. My eyes opened wide as two fighters ran forward. I jumped in front of them, blocking their paths.

"Are you blind? Don't you see? It is an infant, a child. It presents no threat to us." Many broke out in protest.

"It is a human child!"

"They have laid a trap for us!"

"What about when it grows older, it'll kill us all!"

"We hardly have enough food as it is, and what does it eat?"

"Keeping this child will mean destruction for us all!"

"We must get rid of it Abba!"

"And do what?" I started. "Leave it out in the cold to freeze? This is a child, a blank slate. It does not know how to kill nor harm. It has been left here and abandoned, and it will die without our care."

"We could always plump it up and then eat it?" Someone said from the crowd. "We haven't had a decent meal in months!" The others murmured in agreement around me.

"Cannibals! Would you eat one of your own children?" I spat in disgust.

"It isn't one of our children, now is it Abba?" Another one chimed in. The crowd rose in agreement, further infuriating me.

 _"_ _Silence!"_ I hissed.

"Abba?" A voice said from behind me. I hadn't even seen Meadow slip past to comfort the crying child. "Look at this," She turned the child over and my eyes went even wider. My emotions shifted from anger to amazement. Stitched on the back, in a darker shade of green, was our face, the face of a creeper. "It is a sign! This is what the moon has delivered back to us! This child will be the one to save us!"

"A beautiful sentiment Meadow, but the moon left us when the first bastard entered the land," Puff, another close companion of mine said stepping forwards. "This child has the blood of a killer that runs deep in its veins. It must go," Puff finished.

I sighed and looked down at the now sleeping child. If it had the face of one of us, then someone had to have intended for it to be here. "We shall keep the child for now, no ifs, ands, or buts. We may be able to use it for a bribe later on." Though deep in my heart, I knew that whoever had abandoned the child was not coming back.

Meadow and I cared for the infant in the first stages of life. She was a beautiful little girl with auburn brown hair and rich hazel brown eyes. She was a sweet child, hardly ever fussy towards us or anyone else. She tried to make friends with the other creepers, but for the first few months, they avoided her as if she were a disease; that just being around her was going to cause some kind of commotion. Eventually, some of the younger ones began to play with her and make her feel more welcome, but the elders and defenders still felt threatened. They saw her as what the humans had done to us, not as one of our children.

When she grew older, the giant piece of material became less and less like something that swallowed her figure. It was a jacket, still oversized, but not near as bad as when she arrived here as a newborn. We built a pathway and let her go down and get food for us. Down below the mountain was safe for her. If humans saw her, they wouldn't take her life. We finally returned to the proper diet of apples, some vegetables, meat and flowers that she brought from the land below. It was only after that, that most of the older creepers came to accept her as one of us.

She had even become deeply acquainted with one of the youngest creepers. They would play together though the morning, and when she was gone, he would patiently wait by the entrance until she returned. One day, she returned with a black and white checkered bandanna that she tied around his neck.

"You're my best friend Buggy!" She said before hugging him tightly. Never had I seen a more perfect bond between two creatures of different species. _This is how it should be between us and the humans,_ I thought to myself.

When she reached adolescence was when I finally learned her name. She had a nametag hidden underneath the entire lime green jacket. "Jenkinzez" was what it said. Jenkinzez. Little did any of us know how much she'd save us all in the end.

By the time she reached adulthood, our population was stronger than ever. I was beginning to gray and feel weak in my old age while she stood brave, strong, beautiful. Meadow did an extraordinary job raising her and she now rested in peace with what was left of her life. As I originally expected, no one came back for her from the day she was brought to us. I have an undying suspicion that whoever left her with us knew we were here.

"My child, can't you come and help me in my old age?" She smiled and bounded towards me.

"Yes Abba, but you're not _that_ old," she responded chuckling.

"I have been through a lot in my life dear. It has aged me more than I want to admit…" I trailed off. As odd as it was, I realized that she never knew the full story about us. She never questioned why we lived in a cave or why she was a human surrounded by a bunch of creepers. She only knew this as normal. "Jenkinzez…Come here, sit down," I said going towards the edge of the cave and looking out at the sunset. She came and sat down with me, her feet dangling on the edge. "I'm going to tell you something you've never heard before. It's not a nice story, but it's the truth."

I told her everything. From how we used to live in the open land roaming free, how we once didn't have to be divided into just creepers and always paranoid for our population. I told her all about the praises we'd sing to the moon until the night of slaughter. This was the first time since the night that the events in detail had left my mouth. I watched her horrified face as she finally learned the truth.

"But, not all of them can be bad, right?" She asked.

"I have yet to find one that isn't that bad…" I sighed. _Except for you, and the person who left you with us that night_. I dared not say this however; my child believed deep in her heart she was a creeper just like the rest of us. "You've grown up to be strong. You could be a fighter if you had to." I looked at her up and down and saw the promise Meadow had foretold. "I want you to do something for me…for all of us," I said while turning to look at her. "I need you, to find your sense of adventure! I want you to go out and find a suitable home for us; somewhere you can lead us all. We must find a new home so that we can once again return to living without fear of slaughter."

"What about Buggy? Can he come with me?" She asked. I was hesitant for a second. Keeping a creeper with her increased her odds of being attacked, but the two were practically inseparable.

"You may take Buggy with you, and for the love of everything that is good, please…come home safely, both of you." She stood up and wrapped her arms around me in a hug.

"I'll do it Abba," she whispered.

"Good luck my child…"


	3. Chapter 1: Warped

Jenkinzez gasped. Everything went black around her as she struggled to move and contain hold of her flailing body. Something seemed to be pulling her from the world which she once lived and was dropping her into another. _What is happening?!_ She frantically thought as she continued to flail. Suddenly, light opened up in the vortex and dropped her down flat onto the earth.

"Ow…" She groaned as she slowly tried to lift herself off of the ground. "That certainly was something, wasn't it Buggy?" She heard no sound and frantically stood up only to find her surroundings absent of her creeper friend. "Buggy? Buggy! Where did you…" She was cut off by the feeling of a hard weight on her back brining her back down flat on her face. The creeper stood up, shook, and gave an apologetic hiss. Jenkinzez stood before looking around at the open field.

"Where are we?" She asked. "This doesn't look like home at all…" Buggy hissed and came up beside her. The two had been roaming the land for about three months now in search to find the perfect place to bring the other creepers. They were enjoying a nice meal by the lake when all of a sudden, both of them were sucked into what seemed like an unfamiliar territory. Jenkinzez checked through her inventory and took the bow off of her back.

"It appears I still have everything intact," she said as she ran her hand across her bow, checking its sturdiness and endurance. "My weapon isn't damaged, but what is this place?" She stepped forward through the field, weaving her way through the tall grass. As she continued, moos and snorts could be heard in the distance. "At least this place has food. It must be able to sustain life if there are animals around," she said as she began to see the spotted pelts of cows in the distance.

They continued to walk side by side, searching for any fellow creepers or savage humans. The sun burned over their heads and the open field seemed to drag on for ages. Buggy stopped to munch on a single yellow flower he found growing in between the tall grass blades. The dandelion seemed to give him sudden energy as he bounded forward in the field, alarming the animals.

"Buggy! Wait up! We don't know what could be around here! It's dangerous!" The energetic creeper stopped dead in his tracks as an arrow scathed his left side, barely missing him dead on. Jenkinzez ducked and prepared to draw her bow to counterattack as her heart started racing in fear.

"Buggy, get back over here, slowly, "she whispered. The now terrified creeper turned away from the direction of the projectile and slowly walked over to her. Another arrow came flying towards him and he bolted towards her. Jenkinzez drew her bow and fired an arrow in the direction of where the first arrow came from. She saw something moving up extremely high and suddenly, more arrows came raining down. "Go, run!" She yelled when Buggy got close enough. They dodged arrows left and right while running with the speed of an enderman. One of the arrows struck her in her right shoulder as she winced in pain. Buggy began to hiss frantically turning towards a chasm in the ground that lead to a cave. "Go there! Jump in!" They both reached the edge of the chasm before soaring in and hitting the stone floor with a thud.

Jenkinzez reached up and pulled the arrow out of her shoulder, wincing and letting out a squeak of pain as blood began to ooze out. She searched through her inventory and had Buggy tie a piece of cloth around her shoulder to secure the wound.

"Just a flesh wound, no need to worry," she said rubbing her shoulder. Buggy looked up at her in disbelief and concern. "But look at you, you poor thing, all bruised up and dirty. Here, let me clean you off." She took him to the stream that ran in the chasm and washed the dirt off. He had bruises on his head from falling and a cut from where the arrow had hit beside him. "I'm not sure where we are, but the people here don't deal with strangers very well," Jenkinzez said sighing as they walked back into the cave.

The cave wasn't deeply excavated at all and the inside grew dark as the sun began to go down. Both watched as the light faded from the chasm before she searched for torches. She only had two left placed them on opposite sides of the cave's walls for an all-around view. Some iron lay on the back wall and some coal on the floor, untouched. This was a natural cave, not one cut out by humans.

"This will be our shelter for now I guess…" Jenkinzez trailed off uneasily. Buggy hissed in protest and head-butted her softly. "I know this isn't what we're used to, but we'll need to find a way to cross the rest of the field without getting shot at," she said in disappointment. Every day since the two had left Abba and the others, they had been well fed, warm under the tree leaves as they slept underneath the shower of the stars and the full moon that provided them with safety. Now, they somehow ended up in a place neither of them knew about with only the food on their backs and the cold shelter of the cave. "Let's try and get some sleep for now," she said, handing him an apple.

After they had eaten, Buggy curled up next to her as she shivered in her jacket. She stayed awake, alert for any signs of danger as she stroked Buggy's head while he slept. The sound of the water flowing in the stream outside was what finally lulled her into slumber.

The next morning, Jenkinzez woke up to empty space beside her. She slowly rose and stretched, feeling stiff from the hard surface. When she looked out, she saw her creeper friend munching on the poppies on the inside of a chasm. Suddenly, when he finished his last flower, he ran towards the edge of where they had fallen and jumped on one of the blocks.

"Buggy? What are you doing?" She asked while running towards him. He hissed in defiance and continued to make his way up block by block. "Wait up won't you?!" Jenkinzez attempted to keep up with his fast pace but struggled to scramble up the blocks of stone and dirt that lay inside the cavern. _He's eager about something, isn't he?_ Jenkinzez thought to herself as she reached the edge and climbed up the last block. When she reached the top from where they fell, he stood with his back away from her. She tackled him to the ground and away from the edge.

"You tried to leave me! Why would you do that?" He laughed and hissed apologetically. "At least you did get us out of there," she started. "I don't think I've ever had a worse night of sleep in my life! Even when we grew up in the cave back home, snuggled up to the creepers was a lot comfier than that floor." Buggy shook his head in agreement and slid from underneath her as she stood up. His stomach growled and he smiled nervously. "How are you still hungry?" She asked sarcastically. "Well, we're out of food my friend. Let's try and go back to the open field and hunt for some protein. I could go for some beef right about now." He hissed again and started towards the field, slower this time. Jenkinzez followed with caution, not knowing when the arrows started or where they came from. Buggy munched on flowers along the way as she crept behind him in the tall grass.

Soon enough, they came about thirty blocks from where a lone cow was grazing at the grass. She looked around and took her bow off of her back, searching for any signs of danger. When she felt fully comfortable, she beckoned Buggy back beside her and grabbed a few arrows from her inventory. "I'd be willing to bet the first bite that I could kill that cow with one arrow," she whispered. Buggy smirked in disbelief and head-butted her hand. "You're on," Jenkinzez said, standing up and attaching the arrow to her bow. She drew her string back and aimed straight for the cows head, ignoring the pain in her shoulder. She let go of the string sending the arrow flying through the air with the speed of light across the field. She missed her mark, however, and the arrow struck the cow in the side, causing it to let out a cry and begin to run.

"Damn it… Come on! We've got to get it before it runs off!" She said, starting towards the cow. As she ran, she attached another arrow into the bow and aimed at the fleeing prey. Hunger was driving her every move and she was filled with adrenaline. It was almost impossible to aim properly in motion, and she amazed herself with the second arrow. It struck the cow causing it to fall down and give out one final cry before disintegrating, leaving three pieces of raw beef on the ground. When Buggy finally caught up, he smiled and took an enormous bite out of the first piece.

"You win this time you little devil," she smirked. He laughed and continued to devour the juicy meat. Jenkinzez took a piece of her own and bit into it. It wasn't too filling, but neither of them had had any meat in days. "I guess I'm out of practice with my archery…" she trailed off in embarrassment. Buggy shrugged and continued eating his portion in content until his eyes shifted into confusion. He walked over towards one side of the field.

"What is it buddy?" She asked, stuffing the piece of meat in her inventory and following him. At the edge of the field laid a drop, a steep edge much like a cliff, and below in the drop was a giant city. In the center was the biggest mansion they'd ever seen with flags, banners, and a farm beside it. In the corner, there was looming watch tower with iron bars around the bottom. Jenkinzez could see pistons from the side and movement from the very top.

"That had to have been what was shooting at us yesterday…" Jenkinzez whispered. "Whoever owns this land has made it clear that visitors are not welcome." She turned to look at him. "I was hoping that this land would at least be vacant of the savages. Abba wanted us to be as far away from them as possible to settle in our new home." Buggy looked up in deplorable agreement. "Someone down there is bound to know what this place is, but I'm not sure they'd be very reasonable with creatures like us," she said uneasily. _Humans kill creepers… If there's one thing we've been raised to do, it's to fear and hate them…_ She thought.

"It appears there's no one around right now. Should we go down and check it out?" Buggy shook his head profusely and backed away. "Yeah… You're right. Waltzing in, in broad daylight? That would certainly be sending us to our deaths." Though the city seemed quiet, both Jenkinzez and Buggy mentally agreed that the city was _too_ quiet. They slowly backed away from it and back into the field.

"How about this," Jenkinzez started. "We need to find any information we can about the land a possible safe zone away from this city. Tonight, we'll sneak down and go through the city and be out before the sun rises. Deal?" Buggy shook his head nervously, unsure of the safety in her plan.

The two turned away from the city below the field. The rest of the day, they roamed the prairie for more food and Jenkinzez repaired her bow in preparation for the night ahead.

When the moon rose, the two appeared on the side of the field once more. The city has its lanterns lit up, but still remained eerily silent. _Abba told us to return home safely, and I'm not about to break my side of the promise,_ Jenkinzez thought.

"Stay with me, and don't go wandering off. Our lives could end tonight if we get caught and either both of us are making it out or neither of us." The two slipped down the edge silently silently and landed down, rolling to prevent noise and injury. The city had mini house-like structures next to the giant mansion. A sign stood right in the center of the area. Jenkinzez beckoned Buggy towards her and went towards the sign. When she approached, she saw that it read,

 _"_ _Welcome to DragoCraft. You are now entering MrZ's land."_

"DragoCraft, huh?" she whispered. "Odd name fitting an odd place," she said. Buggy nodded as they kept on. The city appeared very similar to the one that had ripped the creepers from their homes on the night of slaughter, and it made her feel extremely uneasy. The watch tower loomed over their heads in the corner as if it were the sleeping guardian of the city awaiting one wrong move. Jenkinzez shivered as she turned her back on the massive structure. She took a deep breath and continued her walk. The longer they walked, the sooner the city began to look less like a full city and more like a miniature village. The only buildings were the ones that could be seen from the hill: the mansion, a couple of houses, and the watch tower.

"Okay, so the city isn't very big in range. I think if we are able to settle a few thousand blocks away from here then we should be safe," Jenkinzez said looking at Buggy. "Come on; let's get out of here before we get caught." They started back towards the hill, unsure of how they would climb back up. Suddenly, she felt something cold and metal underneath her foot and heard a small clicking noise. She stopped for a second and looked around before shrugging and continuing towards the hill. She gasped as she heard explosions growing closer and started to bolt towards safety. And then, the world went black around her once again…


	4. Chapter 2: Captured

When Jenkinzez finally woke up, her vision was blurry and she could not make out where she was. Her head was pounding in pain and she tried to reach up and rub it. She gasped as her arm remained in place, unmoving. She shook vigorously to try and free a limb, but fetters and shackles bound her back. The room had a few lackluster torches up on the walls, making it difficult to see. Jenkinzez looked around in search for Buggy in the dark room. Her heart broke at the sight when she eventually found him. He was lying down, still knocked from the blast, and around his neck was a thick metal collar with four chains that were attached to golden stakes in the ground. _Humans really are monsters…_ she thought in sympathy and panic. She struggled against the chains once more before she heard the door open as light flooded the room. A figure came around the corner, a sword attached to his belt. She couldn't make out what his face looked like in the dim light, but she tried to stay as quiet as possible.

"Well good morning sweetheart!" He exclaimed boisterously. Jenkinzez said nothing and only glared towards him. His voice caused Buggy to stir and lift his head up. He saw the mysterious figure and scrambled against his chains, letting out a cry of fear. "I see you two are finally awake," he said from the other end of the room. The two said nothing to his remark and stayed still. "I must say, you have guts to trespass at night on my land, and you must be _really_ blind to not see the pressure plate," he said while laughing.

Jenkinzez struggled again and looked away from him. Buggy let out a whimper of fear causing the human to turn towards him. "I've never seen a tame creeper before; one that quivers in fear and doesn't explode involuntarily. However, I can't have mobs on my land and I need gunpowder to repair the trap you set off," he said approaching him. Buggy was shaking and he closed his eyes. The human drew his sword out from his belt. It glistened in the dim light as diamonds covered the blade

"Don't touch him!" Jenkinzez yelled. Buggy had his head lowered as if he were accepting his fate. Tears pricked at her eyes as she stared at him. "Do _not_ touch him," she repeated, growling. He looked over at her in curiosity and walked over until he was inches from her face. She could now see that his face was a cyan color and his facial structure matched perfectly to that of Abba and the others.

"A human wants to spare the life of a mob? He could explode at any given time. Would you rather me take yours over his?" Buggy hissed in protest and looked between the two pleadingly.

"Lay one hand on him, and I'll hurt you myself," she growled. He backed up and smirked.

"Sweetheart, do you need to be reminded that you're chained up against the wall?" He asked in a snarky manner. The human searched through his inventory and pulled out a wooden bow. "And how do you expect to do anything without this?" He asked. Jenkinzez gasped and realized her back was vacant of the weight from her bow.

"Give that back! That's mine!" She spat at him.

"You lost this when you set off my trap last night, he replied coolly. "You're not getting it back. It's mine now."

"That's thievery!" She exclaimed.

"Yeah? And you trespassed! So I guess that puts us eye to eye, but I'm not the one in shackles for my actions. You came onto my land after you saw the sign clearly—"

"How do you know I saw the sign? Do you just take people prisoner based off of your assumptions?" She asked, interrupting him. He closed his eyes and let out a sarcastic laugh.

"Do you take me for a fool? I saw you read the sign clearly."

"It said nothing about 'no visitors' or 'leave unless your wish is to be captured.'"

"It doesn't take a genius to know not to trespass, though we now know that obviously you need a higher level of intelligence to understand that type of common sense," he retorted.

"So all you do all day and sit and watch for people to take hostage?" She asked in disgusted disbelief.

"No, not all day. Last night I was awake, performing enchantments, when I saw the creeper first then you trotting along behind him. You read the sign, looked around, at the watchtower especially, and then turned to go off. I can't get over how blind you were to a pressure plate. Haven't you been in temples before?" Jenkinzez hid her confusion and looked down in embarrassment. None of the creepers went outside of the cave back home, and neither her nor Buggy had ever heard of anything of that nature. "No experience with them? That explains the high levels of immaturity." Jenkinzez was now getting infuriated at the insults being thrown at her.

"It wasn't there when I came down from the hill. Someone must've placed it there on purpose."

"Correct, they did," he replied blankly. Jenkinzez thought for a moment.

"You! You set me up! You placed it there intentionally so I would step on it!" Jenkinzez shouted at him, getting even angrier. "How!? Why?!"

"That's for me to know, and is considered as none of your business," he told her. He came up to her and brought his sword up to her throat. She swallowed and tensed up. He took the side of it and ran it across her neck slowly and lightly. She shivered at the cold feeling and tried to hold her ground against his intimidation. "I think you should hang around for a bit longer," he told her chuckling. He drew his sword back and walked over to Buggy.

"You! If you so much as think about blowing up to escape, if the blast doesn't kill you then I'll kill you myself," he said threateningly towards him while holding his sword up. The creeper hissed angrily at him and the human struck him once on the head with his sword, causing blood to pour down out of a large gash.

"Stop it!" Jenkinzez yelled. "I said, don't touch him!" The human gave a defiant grunt before exiting the room and closing the door, leaving them near blind once again. "Buggy? Are you okay?" He hissed weakly and moved as close to her as his chains would allow. She could make out blood running down his face as he cried. _Abba wasn't lying. They hate us…_ she thought in depression. _That must've been MrZ, the cocky bastard._

"I can't believe that anyone would think that they can hold others prisoner and steal their only means of defense. That bow was the only weapon I had! Now what if we get thrown out? We'll only have our hands as a means for protection!" Buggy said nothing in return and he laid down to try and sleep his pain away. "I'm so sorry that I got us into this mess," she whispered to him. _I hope we can make it out alive…_ she thought as she fell into troubled slumber.

Jenkinzez had no idea how long she slept for, but she was awoken to the sound of chains rustling, movement around her, and quiet voices.

"Draw your bow and keep it ready. If she wakes up and tries to attack, shoot her down." She opened her drowsy eyes to see a figure in front of her with its bow armed and ready to fire on command. She felt the gripping strain on her right arm cease as the chains were undone. She sighed in relief that at least one limb was free.

A person undid her other arm shortly after causing her to fall from the wall to the ground. She stood up quickly, causing the two figures to stiffen and come close, surrounding her. The large circular braces were still around her wrists, weighing her arms down. She heard one come up behind her and chained her hands together.

"You're a monster, you know that?" She growled. She looked up and saw MrZ step forwards.

"You should consider yourself lucky that I'm taking you out of here and up to the surface. I could leave you down here to rot sweetheart." Jenkinzez sighed and stepped forward with MrZ on her right and the other human with his bow still drawn on her left. They made their way towards the door, passing by Buggy who was still sleeping. He lifted his head sleepily at the noise and began to hiss and bounce against his chains. Jenkinzez stopped and looked over at MrZ.

"Let him go too." She demanded.

"He's a mob," MrZ replied.

"I don't care. You let me go, so unchain him as well," she said threateningly.

"I never said I was letting you go; you're just being moved elsewhere so you can—"

"I don't care where you move me, but I'm not going anywhere unless he comes with me," she spat struggling to get out of his grip. MrZ stayed silent for a moment before letting her go and walking over to the terrified creeper. He undid the chains from his collar, and as soon as the fourth one was free, he bolted over to Jenkinzez while whimpering. She bent down and hugged him as much as she could with her chains around her wrists. She could see the severity of his laceration up close. She pulled him close and looked up at MrZ in anger.

"Such a sentimental reunion… How sweet, now, follow me." MrZ shoved Buggy aside and grabbed hold of her right arm as he opened the door. Bright light caused her to squint and blink. They walked through a long narrow hallway. She tried to subtly look around at the different machines in the room but MrZ's threatening presence kept her gaze focused ahead. When they passed through the strange room, MrZ went over and whispered something to the other human and he withdrew his bow and left through a nearby stairwell.

"Now, I'm going to take you where you will be staying from now on, and again, consider yourself lucky that I'm not keeping you locked down there where you _really_ belong."

"You really are a monster…" She trailed off.

"I'm already well aware sweetheart." He led them up the stairs and into a separate room. _How big is this place?_ She asked herself as she followed him into a wooden room. He stepped in and took her wrists in his and released her chains and braces. He walked over to Buggy and took the collar from around his neck. "This will be your new resting place. You have water in the cauldron over there, and food will be given to you once a day. There's a chest over there for you to store your belongings. Eat if you wish or stockpile your food. I really couldn't care less what you do," he explained. She scanned the room carefully and stepped in cautiously.

"No bed?" She asked. He scoffed and briefly chuckled.

"Do you really think that you deserve one?" He asked. "Figure out a bed situation yourself," he said stepping out and closing the door. He opened it once more a few seconds later. "Oh, and these doors are redstone and sensor controlled. Trying to escape is a near impossibility. Don't even give it an attempt or I will personally send you back down to the dungeon. Are we clear?" She shook her head and turned away. "Good. Now that we're in agreement, I'll leave you to get settled in. You will be up at sunrise and waiting for me to come and get you. Have a nice rest of the day!" He said in a sickeningly sweet manner while closing the door and walking off.

Buggy stayed glued to her side as she walked around the room. It was a quaint room made entirely out of birch trees; a place very well kept for someone who was supposed to be staying here as a prisoner. _Better up here than down there,_ she thought in relief. In the corner was a cauldron of water and next to that was the chest. A small one-block window was on the farthest wall. Jenkinzez went forwards and opened the chest, relieved to see what little she had carried had been placed there. _Except for my bow…_ She thought in aggravation. She picked Buggy up and grabbed some cloth from the chest.

"Let's clean up that wound," she whispered to him. The pain in her shoulder seemed to go numb when she saw his face. She soaked the cloth and began to clean dried blood off of his face. "Are you okay?" She asked. He nodded and winced when the cloth reached the open slash. She finished cleaning him and took a dry piece cloth out of the chest. "I know this isn't the best thing, but we need to keep any infection out," she told him while tying it. _I'm not sure what I've gotten us into, or if we'll make it out alive…_


	5. Chapter 3: Serfdom

The night seemed to draw on forever and Jenkinzez got little sleep. The wooden floor although looked very cozy, was almost as cold as stone and gave her entire body cramps. Most of the night she held Buggy close and watched the small gleam of light wash over the floor from the window. When she finally did fall into slumber, she didn't know how long she was out until she felt something vigorously shaking her. She sat up dizzily and found MrZ crouched right in front of her.

"It's about time," he sighed. She stood up and dusted herself off.

"Good morning to you too," she growled under her breath. She tapped Buggy and he stood up slowly.

"Come on you two, we have work to do," MrZ said leading them outside the room and through a different part of the mansion. Jenkinzez hadn't taken a good look at him until now. He was cyan all over his body with a silver-grey tunic and matching pants. His back had an attachment where he held his bow, and his belt was tied around his waist. His diamond sword hung down from one side and gleamed in the sunlight shining in through the window. The sunrise had finished and the square shaped bright light rose further up.

When they stepped outside, fresh air washed over them. Jenkinzez took a deep breath and looked around at the outside land.

"Hey! You can look around later! I said we have work to do!" He yelled from the bottom of the stairs. Jenkinzez nodded and ran down the stairs to meet him. "For your first task, I need you to gather more food. See the garden over there?" He asked pointing towards where she saw the farm originally. "Go and harvest the vegetables and be sure to replant the seeds that come up with the crops. Put the extra ones into chest," he told her. She nodded whilst feeling a bit confused, but was determined not to make him angry.

She led Buggy over to the rows of vegetables. Her eyes widened as she saw the amount. He had what appeared to be never-ending rows of wheat, carrots, potatoes, beetroots, pumpkins, and watermelons. _He must eat like a king every single night,_ she thought. _Or maybe he's a vegetarian?_ She asked herself. She shook away her thoughts and leaned down to start picking the carrots out of the ground. She went down and pulled out as much as she could, but her arms quickly became overfilled.

"Hmm…Buggy, come here really quick." He stopped digging at the dirt and walked over to her. "Your head is flat enough. Hold these while I dig them up," she said. She took the carrots and stacked them on top of his head as she planted the remainders back into the soil. When she finished the final row of carrots, Buggy was walking at a snail's pace to keep the crops from falling. She came over to him and took half the stack in her arms and went over to the chest.

Jenkinzez opened it and saw a few stacks of food, but something out of place caught her eye. In the back right corner, there was a leather-bound book. She put the carrots in and picked up the book to examine it. The cover had engravings in a language she couldn't understand with along with a sword and a blaze of fire. _I wonder why this is in here,_ she questioned. She opened it slightly to examine it further before deciding against it. She closed it and stored it into her inventory. Buggy looked over at her in curiosity and cocked his head to the side.

"I'll show you later," she whispered to him. He nodded and placed his half of the carrots into the chest. They continued to retrieve the crops and store them properly. The sun slowly rose until it was completely overhead. Jenkinzez sat down for a few moments to catch her breath. She was sweating profusely by the time they finished the entire garden. Buggy leaned over to rest his bandaged head on her arm. _He must have a headache in this heat. Poor thing,_ she thought as she rubbed his back. "We better go and see where MrZ went to find out what else he has for us to do," she said standing up and stretching. They made their way to the foot of the stairs right as MrZ opened the door.

"Ah, good to see you've finished. Come with me," he said as he walked down the staircase. "One of our pistons up in the watchtower has a damaged component in it…" Jenkinzez tuned out his voice. All she could think about was the mysterious book she had found in the garden chest. Was it really possible to ignite a sword with fire, and it be usable for attacking? "Do you understand your task?" Jenkinzez blinked and looked up.

"I-I, um…" she stammered.

"That's what I thought sweetheart. Pay attention. I said, one pf the pistons up in the watchtower has a damaged component in it. I'm not sure if it's a redstone issue or an issue with the piston itself. Your job will be to load the other two pistons with more arrows and hold the ones that need to come out of the broken one. Now, I don't get very much of a thrill from hearing myself talk. Don't make me repeat myself again," he said curtly.

"Okay, sorry," she said apologetically. He opened the iron door to the base of the watchtower. It was circular in design and had a stone staircase spiraling up to the heavens above.

"Let's go," he said walking over to the stairs. They began to ascend up in circles and the floor below them slowly grew farther and farther away. Her head felt slightly dizzy and she slowly looked over the edge of the stairs. The bottom started spinning and she stepped back and lost her footing. Buggy stepped back and stuck his head forward to catch and rebalance her. She took a few deep breaths and turned to look at him.

"Thanks," she whispered.

"Hurry up!" They heard MrZ's yell echo from many blocks above them. She made her way up the stairs more swiftly this time to try and catch up with his pace. The spinning stairs seemed to fall into a hypnotic pattern that appeared never-ending. Her legs grew heavy from exhaustion and she felt her muscles burning. She slowed her pace and looked up to see how much farther the stone stairs ascended. Jenkinzez saw MrZ looking down from about ten blocks above her.

"You're really slow sweetheart, you know that?" He called down to her. She growled and gained enough energy to sprint up the remaining stairs. Buggy jumped in surprise and ran up, attempting to keep up with her. When she reached the top, she ran up and leaned over to catch her breath. MrZ walked over and loomed over her. She looked up into his Creeper eyes and stood up completely. "Come," he said, moving over to a window where the broken piston was.

The watchtower was made completely out of cobblestone and had large chests in both corners. "Go to the right chest and reload the right piston. One of my buddies told me he had quite a chase with an intruder a couple of days ago. The piston must be over half empty," he said. Her ears perked at the mention of the chase and she had a flashback of running from the incoming arrows. She then rolled her sleeves down to cover up her injured shoulder. _No need to give him more ammo against me,_ she thought.

She looked down at Buggy and he saw he was thinking the same thing. They opened the chest and found rows of various types of arrows. He had mainly normal arrows, but a few of the rows held arrows of slowness and enchanted arrows. _This must've been what attacked us out in the field_. She walked over to the window and cautiously looked out over the land. She saw the mansion out of the corner of her eye and the outer bounds of the east side of the land. She could also see the hill where they dropped from.

"What do we have here?" She asked quietly. Her suspicions were confirmed when she looked farther down and saw the outline of the chasm. _That's where we were alright,_ she thought. She opened the piston and loaded it full of arrows, then went behind him to another piston on the left side of the tower. Out of this window, she saw the mini houses and forests behind it. The west side of the land had a natural beauty to it and she hopped that it would be preserved. Oak, birch, and spruce trees grew like sturdy giants with thick top layers of bright green leaves flourishing from the top of the trunks.

"Hey Buggy, come here," she whispered to him. His head turned and he bounded over towards Jenkinzez causing MrZ to look back slightly, watch them, and eavesdrop. "Look at that forest out there. Look at how rich and luscious the trees look. Can you imagine how many juicy apples are growing in those?" She asked him. His eyes glittered in happiness and he hissed in agreement. "That would be how I'd want to live; sleeping on the branches underneath the stars every night," she said before moving to the left piston. "I miss that life sometimes…" she said softly. Buggy shot her a look and went behind her. "Okay, you're right. I miss that all the time." She turned to face him completely and stroked his head. "I'm not entirely sure why were warped here, but I want to go home." He closed his eyes and his facial expression grew somber.

"You can wish all you want sweetheart, but this is your home now. You might as well get comfortable as best you can," MrZ cut in.

"I will never be comfortable here with you. I am not able to come and go as I need. I have no freedom. And on top of that, I'm living in a shit hole with someone who thinks he's a god holding me hostage!" She spat at him.

"I'm sorry that you find your new resting area a 'shit hole.' Would you be more comfortable going back down into the dungeon for the rest of your short-lived life?" He asked, stepping closer to her.

"I don't want to be anywhere near you. I just want to go home. _My_ home," Jenkinzez said with anger and uneasiness. MrZ sighed and walked back towards the staircase.

"Have you finished loading the pistons?" He asked.

"Not yet," she replied blandly.

"Finish it up quickly and then come down the stairs. I'll be waiting for you at the bottom," he said coldly. His face was deep in thought as his gaze rested on the ground. Jenkinzez refilled the remaining two pistons and made her way back down the stairs. She sucked in a sharp breath and bit the urge to look over again. Buggy trotted along next to her, occasionally leaning over to nuzzle her for comfort.

"I really don't care what he says. One day we're going to get out of here, even if it's the last thing I do."

The rest of the late afternoon was spent keeping up on housekeeping. MrZ went out and brought back beef, pork, and chicken. Jenkinzez was shown where the grilling and storage room was and was told to cook the protein and deposit it into the storage chest. The sun had set and the moon was slowly rising over the horizon. Jenkinzez had been brave enough to demand some torches, and after a brief argument, MrZ complied with five. She placed the final torch right above the window and sat down against the wall, pulling the book out of her inventory. Buggy walked over and sat down next to her and hissed in amazement.

"I know right?" She replied. She ran her fingers over the engravings and slowly opened the book to the first page to find a description of the fire sword.

 _This book contains the basics for the Fire Aspect enchantment on a sword. First done by Robert E. Goshum, the skill requires numerous steps and years of experience to master. Disclaimer: This book does not contain the full enchantment process. To obtain the maximum use, enchant this book with the correct prior knowledge and turn to page forty-seven for an updated version. The fire aspect is unique in its own characteristics. Damage dealt is increased by almost 30% and can leave a massive, heat-sensitive wound for up to a month. The highest level of experience when using this enchantment can cause the target to temporarily catch flame or ignite. When animals are attacked and killed, they drop cooked meat rather than a raw version, and mobs are struck down in a smaller amount of hits. Some who have used it for years say that the flame size matches the user's aura. The more darkness a person keeps in their soul, the greater the size of the flame. When Fire Aspect II is matched with the enchantment Unbreaking III, some have heard the sword lasts long after the bearer has passed. This however, is the rarest of all enchantments and had only been reported successful six times in history. Others have reported that flame strength comes from the amount of experience one has with a fire aspect tool. The longer one has trained with the blazing flames, the stronger the brutality when used. No clear conclusion has been drawn yet._

"Wow… So it is possible," she said amazed. She flipped through pictures of the first user Goshum and a large table made out of a thick black stone, with a book floating in the center. The next couple of pages had sketches of the blazing sword with a caption that read, "Fire Aspect II with Unbreaking III; the rarest of its kind." She saw photos of sword duels and mobs on fire, screaming and burning to their deaths from a single strike. She suddenly heard footsteps coming down the hall and stashed the book away. MrZ appeared a couple of seconds later and opened the iron door.

"Here, figured you were hungry after today," he said while handing her some steak and beetroot stew. She was taken aback by his calm tone and took his offering suspiciously.

"Thanks?" She said in confusion. He nodded and stepped back. She handed a piece to Buggy and began to munch on her own.

"I just have a quick question. Why do you want to live in the forest? In the wild?" She was even more flabbergasted by this question and was reluctant to answer. She stayed silent for a few moments before speaking.

"It's the best lifestyle ever. Buggy and I were pastoralists before you captured us. We went with the freshness of the land in search for the perfect place to eventually settle. Since we hadn't found it yet, we traveled far and wide. Nature is rich, generous, and plentiful." _Until nature decides to warp you away…_

"So, you've never considered living in a city? Or, at least a village?" he asked sounding genuinely curious.

"Places like these are a death sentence to my kind," she answered.

"Your kind?" he asked. She nodded. "Your kind…Interesting… Well, it's getting late and if I were you, I wouldn't stay up lollygagging. You and I have a special task we need to complete tomorrow. You will need all the rest you can get." MrZ said before walking out of the room. Jenkinzez finished her food and laid down on the birch floor. Buggy hissed and looked up at the glimmers of light illuminating from the torches.

"Oh, right," she said while standing up and putting them out. When she drifted off this time, sleep came to her somewhat easier than the previous two nights. Maybe it was from the works exhaustion. Maybe it was her clarity of the place becoming clearer. Maybe, just maybe, it was resting on the thought that he wouldn't kill them; rather he would spare them after all.


	6. Chapter 4: Darkness

Screams filled her ears as she fled for her life. She ran through tall grass, pushing the blades out of the way. She heard another shrill scream and adrenaline pushed her to run faster.

"Run Buggy!" She breathed.

She looked down slightly and turned right as hands reached down and gripped her Creeper and started to drag him away. "No, no, no!" She yelled latching onto his neck. Her efforts were overpowered by the giant hands and he was ripped away screaming down to her.

Lightning flashed and she saw the cyan skim and black eyes from above laughing maliciously. He brought his sword up high up as more lightning illuminated the diamond blade. His eyes turned white as he thrusted the sword down on top of her.

Jenkinzez jumped awake with a gasp. Her heart was accelerating and sweat ran in drops down her forehead. She didn't realize the room was darker from when she had fallen asleep. She stood up quietly and went over to the window. Thick clouds covered the slim crescent moon, making it nearly impossible to see. _Has the moon deserted us here too?_ She asked herself. She couldn't help but remember waking up in the cave in the middle of the night one night in her youth and seeing Abba staring out at the bright moon with Meadow close by. They had all felt so hopeless, and the feeling was returning swiftly.

She sighed and went to lay back down next to Buggy. _Please…_ she prayed. _Please watch over us and help us stay safe. Help us return back to Abba and the others…_

When the morning sun poured through the window, the door unlocked and opened causing her to jump awake.

"C'mon, let's go," MrZ said simply. She stood up and stretched, catching his gaze in her peripheral vision. He had his back turned and his head was peered around staring at her with a look she couldn't place. It was almost as if his eyes were scanning her up and down…

She pushed the thought away and leaned down to wake Buggy up. "Oh no, he's not coming with us." He said placing his hand on her shoulder. Impulse ran through her as Jenkinzez turned and slapped his hand away while Buggy looked up and hissed.

"I thought I made it very clear on day one, you aren't going to separate us; come hell or high water. If I'm going, he's coming with me." MrZ rubbed his hand slightly and shrugged.

"Fine. As you wish, but it won't be my fault if he gets killed," he replied nonchalantly.

"What do you mean f he gets killed? What are you taking us to do that could be so life-threatening?" She asked brining Buggy closer.

"The thing every human needs to do for proper survival out here," he answered. "No more questions. You can eat on the way there; we need to leave." He walked out the door and they followed closely behind him. She watched as he stopped at various chests and drug out items to put into his inventory. They reached the front and he fastened his diamond sword into his holster before walking out the door and down the stairs.

"Morning MrZ!" A voice called from over by the watchtower. She turned around and her eyes narrowed in anger. _Him…_ she thought in rage.

"Morning Overload!" MrZ called back while waving. It was the same guy who had them at a target ready to kill them on MrZ's command when they were in the dungeon. _Overload huh? Strange name fitting a strange fellow_. He had on a white suit with the same kind of belt as MrZ that held a similar sword. His hair was neatly trimmed but his beard was slightly shaggy and both held a chestnut brown color to it. His eyes appeared friendly and welcoming on the surface, but the look he gave that night burned a memory deep into her head. He was not a nice person at all.

Overload walked over to them and fist bumped MrZ.

"So the prisoner finally gets to see the light of day, huh?" Jenkinzez shied back behind MrZ and said nothing, her gaze locked on the grass below. "I gotta say MrZ, you're losing your touch," he said laughing.

"I am not. She'll be worked to the bone like the rest of them before she's released. _If_ she's released that is." Jenkinzez head perked up at his comment.

"Come on man, you used to never let them leave the bottom depths of your man-cave there, and now this one's out, no chains on her at all, and roaming the place. I'd say you're gaining a few rough edges…" MrZ reached up and pushed him down to the ground.

"Cut your shit won't you?" MrZ growled. Overload was laughing boisterously as he stood up. "Watch the place for the next couple of days for me. Keep everything in order won't you?" MrZ asked.

"Another expedition trip eh? Taking your prisoner with you?" Overload asked. He nodded and turned to look Jenkinzez straight in her hazel brown eyes.

"She needs the experience. It will do her some good…" MrZ told Overload.

"Just don't forget, Caramel will be back in three days from her long trip," Overload reminded him.

"I know, and I'll be back by then to welcome her home with open arms." MrZ turned around and started to walk away. "Let's go sweetheart, we don't have all day!" He called. Jenkinzez turned around to look at Overload while he smirked and shrugged.

"You'd do best to listen to him, if you value your life," he told her. Jenkinzez said nothing and growled while Buggy hissed before turning to catch up with MrZ.

The sun was rising up higher as he led her through an open field with a few acacia trees. She munched on the apple he gave he had given her and watched as Buggy scarfed down his apple and carrots.

"Where exactly is it that we're going?" Jenkinzez pried again.

"I thought I told you not to ask any more questions," he replied without turning around. Jenkinzez rolled her eyes and looked back down at Buggy. Soon they had traveled to the point where all she could see was open land behind her. Buggy began straggling behind and eventually laid down on the ground to rest. The wound on his head was another clear reminder just how "welcoming" people were.

"Hey! Can we rest for a few minutes?!" She called to MrZ.

"We haven't even traveled that far yet!" He yelled back, continuing to trek forwards.

"Maybe not for you, but he's hurting! And don't forget that it's your fault he has this head trauma!" She yelled to him. He stopped dead in his tracks and turned around slightly.

"If you would have listened to me in the beginning, he wouldn't be like this!" Jenkinzez took the old sweaty bandage off and examined the wound on Buggy's head. Even with all the disinfectant techniques and coverage, it was still deep and showed tiny fibers of green and white where the inside of the wound was trying to slowly heal. _Maybe I shouldn't have brought him along… But I couldn't leave him behind with Overload there…_ She thought.

"I'm sorry buddy… I know what a headache you must have, especially in this heat…" She searched for some clean cloth in her inventory and pulled out a thin piece just long enough to cover his gash. _Last piece… What will I do after that? I don't know where I could find the materials to make cloth out here…_ Jenkinzez leaned down and scooped him up in her arms. "Here, let me carry you for a while let your head rest." He hissed in gratitude and nuzzled into the front of her hoodie sleeve. They soon caught up with MrZ who just rolled his eyes at them.

"Weaklings…" he scoffed. She continued walking without averting her gaze from the field in front of her.

"If compassion is what makes me a weakling then I'll gladly be a weakling rather than a heartless monster. At least I know how to treat others. And as for Buggy, he's a brother to me, and family cares for one another until the very end." MrZ rolled his eyes again and walked up beside her.

"I still can't wrap my head around the whole family business between you and… _it._ " Jenkiznez gave him a side glare and held Buggy closer.

"There's no need to be anymore rude than you already," she replied to his insensitivity.

"Sweetheart, he's a mob. I don't know what kind of family you came from, but here, mobs are the ones that are as you say 'heartless monsters.' You're a human, he's a horrendous mob. They live for one purpose: to kill. If we don't keep them in check here, they overpopulate and try to run us out." _Only because this was their land first._ Jenkinzez thought. "I'm still not one hundred percent with this one being here with us and on my land in the first place."

"Well I still stand my ground that you are not going to separate us. He stays with me, and I'll protect him with my life until we return…"

"That's another thing," MrZ said cutting her off. "That is not a _he_ , okay? That is an _it._ He has no feelings, no conscience, and no gender. I think you're deranged for thinking that this creeper is your best friend and brother." Jenkinzez turned around to face him in anger.

"You're wrong. Buggy is not an _it_ , he is a male creeper, and he is my brother. The creepers have treated me much than anyone else in my life has, and I won't stand here and listen to you criticize them! And if you really think he didn't have a conscience, or a soul, or any ability to feel emotions at all, would he be acting like this? Injured and in pain?" MrZ looked down at the ground and walked past her, unable to give any remark to her statement. Jenkinzez sighed and rubbed Buggy's head as they walked along in painful and awkward silence.

Jenkinzez dragged along through the different biomes behind MrZ. Buggy had taken a nap in the silence of their journey and he resumed walking after he had awakened. They walked for what seemed like eternities before entering a snow biome.

"We're close; just hold out a bit longer," MrZ said from up ahead. Snow began falling in flurries at first, covering the trees around them in a thin blanket of white powder.

"This looks beautiful out here with all of the snow, doesn't it Buggy?" He nodded and looked around at the white fluff falling on their heads. Buggy bounded forwards jumping through the white substance and dancing on the ground in happiness. "We don't get to see snow like this back home. Normally it just coats the ground below the cave; that and the small ledge to the entrance."

Before long, the flurries escalated into a full blown snowstorm with the precipitation falling at an overpowering rate. A harsh north wind nearly knocked them over and it whistled loudly as it blew. Jenkinzez and Buggy struggled to push through the powerful blizzard and keep up with MrZ. Buggy kept his eyes narrowed to block out the wind while Jenkinzez wrapped up in her hoodie, shivering profusely. The cold pierced her face like a thousand needles and she coughed once while attempting to maintain body heat. Her eyes shut in pain at the cold as she trudged along.

Not long after, she heard a long whistle and opened her eyes slowly. Her gaze rose up to see the biggest mountain she had ever seen in her life. _It's even bigger than the home cave…_ She thought. She was pulled from her amazement when MrZ abruptly appeared in front of her and grabbed her arm to guide her up the breaks in the mountain and into the small hole cut out in the front.

"But, Buggy… We're leaving him behind. Can't we…"

"He can climb up here, rest assured," MrZ said cutting her off. Buggy jumped up to get their attention and attempted to get on the ledge to get into the hole where they were. Jenkinzez turned around and grabbed Buggy as he jumped to pull him into the cave and out of the blizzard. MrZ moved them out of the way and patched up the hole with stone causing what little glimmer of light there was to be shut out as complete darkness washed over them.

She heard him shuffle around and run off into the depths of the mountain. She began to panic as she reached around to try and feel for Buggy. He hissed lightly from the other side of the cave before Jenkinzez saw a small flame coming towards her. She cringed and backed away before she recognized the cyan face.

"Here, take my hand. Let me guide you," he offered softly. She looked down at his hand nervously and then back up at him. His offer took her by unpleasant surprise. He hadn't used this kind of voice with her before, and it didn't fit his personality at all. Cautiously, she reached her shaky hand up and took his as he turned and lead them out of that part of the cave.

"C'mon Buggy, stay close," Jenkinzez said as he bounded next to her. The mountain had a very similar layout to the one she grew up in. The only difference was that there were stones and different ores on the walls, floors and celling that she had never seen before. MrZ walked her along and lit the way through the mountain.

"Here, hold the torch," he asked before pulling out a sturdy diamond pickaxe. It was unlike anything Jenkinzez had ever seen before. She held the torch up higher so she could see what he was doing more clearly. MrZ held his pickaxe up before chipping away at the stone blocks in one of the walls, quickly causing them to break apart into cobblestone. He did this in a straight line down the cave to clear out a quicker path out for them, chipping out any ore that he found along the way. Jenkinzez followed behind him, taking in her surroundings of the cave.

Suddenly, a wave of homesickness washed over her again at the thought of Abba and the other creepers. _A big area like this is where we would corral and bond together as one big family. I miss all of the other creepers… My friends… Abba… Meadow…_ Jenkinzez froze in her steps when she heard a loud and distant groan. All thoughts of safety and home were gone in an instant. Buggy looked up at her as she looked down at him.

"Did you hear that?" She whispered. He nodded and pressed forw ards to give MrZ light, but couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching them. A few moments later, she heard a growl from something that was significantly closer as well as bones rattling. MrZ stopped and looked up as another moan came from right next to them. He stood up and stepped back a bit to pull out two torches. He placed them on the blocks to the right and left from where he was standing before turning around to face her.

"Step back and be prepared to fight," he warned as he drew his sword out from his belt.

"W-What's going on?" She stuttered as Buggy moved in closer.

"We've hit a monster house. It's the best place to find natural materials, but unfortunately its inhabitants must permanently leave before we can get in safely." Her eyes went wide with shock as he picked out the last four blocks protecting them from the surrounding mobs. She immediately heard the low growl of a zombie as it stepped forwards, its dark forest green skin clear in the light of the torches. It has its arms outstretched, coming right towards MrZ as it let out a loud and hungry growl.

"Just gonna let me invade your territory like this? Come one tough guy!" The zombie growled in anger and had a menacing glare on its face. Before the zombie could grab him, he slashed across his face while laughing maliciously. MrZ toyed with the zombie until finally bringing his sword up and striking the zombie down in front of its body, causing it to let out a loud noise in pain and growl again. Jenkinzez crouched down in fear as she watched MrZ commit a true murder.

Once more, MrZ slashed the zombie. Blood flew out of the zombie as it moaned in pain and fell to the floor. The creature stood up and once again came towards MrZ. Finally MrZ took his sword and plunged it through the zombie's chest causing the creature to let out an agonizing cry and a short moan before falling over and disintegrating, leaving behind nothing but rotting flesh behind.

"See? That's how you fight…" MrZ was cut off by the sound of two more livid zombies barging through the hole MrZ had made. Vengeance was clear in their eyes, but it was fruitless. Slash by slash, MrZ used his sword flawlessly and sent both of the zombies to their deaths. Before he had time to catch his breath, an arrow flew into his back. He winced in pain and jolted around.

"Sniper…" MrZ whispered before disappearing into the holes of the monster house.

"Wait!" Jenkinzez called before rushing in with him. The terror that she witnessed made her stop dead in her tracks. Two more skeletons along with three zombies and two lone creepers in the corner were waiting to get an open shot at him.

"A sniper duel? How about some swordplay instead!" One by one, MrZ sliced through the mobs, tearing them apart one by one as blood flew around the cave. When the zombies and skeletons had been slaughtered, the two creepers stepped out of the shadows and walked silently towards MrZ.

"Wait…No…" Jenkinzez gasped. MrZ turned around and backed up to give himself some distance between him and the creepers. His sword that he held in one hand gleamed as he stuck his other hand out to try and stop them. The creepers hissed at their intruders and stepped closer. Jenkinzez looked back and forth between the angry mobs and the murderer in front of her. _Humans are the true monster in this world._ She remembered Abba's words and looked to him.

"MrZ, no!" Jenkinzez yelled. He looked over at her for a brief second before the first creeper exploded, throwing MrZ back against the wall and causing him to drop his sword. Jenkinzez rushed away from Buggy and towards MrZ before the second creeper hissed. It exploded with a blinding white light causing Jenkinzez to fall backwards the other way.

She got up onto her knees shakily before a rumble occurred from above her. Blocks started to fall from the ceiling and the top parts of the walls. Blocks began to fall with massive force and speed, colliding with the walls and breaking parts of the cave. Jenkinzez ducked her head as the stones fell, encasing her, MrZ and Buggy and enclosing them in complete and utter darkness.

 ** _A/N: I hate doing these in a chapter and it is the last time I will. But check out my new profile please and thanks!_**


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